Garment



R. E. MEDD l pril 24, 1951 GARMENT Filed Nov, lO, 1948 4k A 4 n Md. imMl A Patented Apr. 2 4, 951

. UNITED [STAT-Es@ PATENT OFFICE GARMENT Y Ruth. E. Medd, 1*)es Moines,Iowa Application November 10, 1948, Serial No. 59,245

The principal object of my invention is to 2 claims. (o1. 2-211) Morespecifically, the object of this invention is to provide a stripedpleated skirt or like that permits the individual pleat placement to theright or left for changing the general appearance of the same.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a changeablepleated skirt that is economical in manufacture, durable in use, andrefined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my skirt ready for use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged upper portion of Y the skirt and showsv how thepleats are reversed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my skirt with Athe pleats reversed fromthat shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of a portionof the skirt showing the control means for reversing a pleat.

Pleated skirts and like are very old and are universally used. Theirobjection, however, is that they are not changeable as to either designor color. I have overcome such problems, by providing a readilyreversible pleat skirt and which I will now describe in detail.

The numeral I generally designates my skirt. Preferably it is made of amaterial having longitudinal color or design stripes. I have also foundthat most plaid fabrics work well. In the drawings and for illustrativepurposes, I haveV used a fabric having two vertical longitudinal andcontrasting color stripes II and I2. For better effect the stripes IIare wider than the stripes I2, but any width or combination of stripesmay be used. The numeral I3 designates the plurality of vertical pleatsformed by the^ usual stitching I 4 at their longitudinal bases. Thesepleats I3 are left loose to fold either to the left or right. In thedrawings, these pleats have a width substantially one-half of the widthof the stripes I2 and the stripes I2 start at the outer edge of each ofthe pleats.

By this arrangement, if the pleats are all folded toward the stripes I2,the dress will all be of the color of the stripes I I, as shown inFig. 1. If on the Y other hand all the pleats are folded in the otherdirection,'all the stripes I2will show (with only parts of the stripesII showing) and a different skirt as shown in Fig. 3 will be produced.Obviously, if desired all kinds of effects may be produced.' If desired,only a few pleats, either to the front, or sides, or back may be turnedone way and all the other pleats turned the opposite direction. Or ifdesired, only every other, or every other two or more pleats may beturned in one direction and the others left to extend inthe oppositedirection. From this it will be seen that not only is the color changepossible, but pattern design and panel arrangement are possible. Toaccomplish this manual pleat reversement, I secure a string, or like I5,to the outer left side of each pleat, and a string, or

like I6, to the outer left side of each pleat, as shown in Fig. 4. Eachof these strings are first passed through the waist band of the skirt,then through the outer edge of the pleat, and then back through thewaist band at a different location thanv where it rst pierced the waistband. The two ends of the string or yarn are then tied together as shownin Fig. 4, to prevent their removal.V If a string I5 is pulled, it willobviously pull the pleat to which it is secured over and to thatdirection and a color or design is affected On the other hand, if astring I6 is pulled, it will pull the pleat to which it is secured overand to that direction, and a different color or design will result. Thusit will be seen that a great variety of patterns, designs or colors maybe had merely bythe selection of strings one pulls. The strings passingthrough the waist band will experience enough frictional contact withthe waist band to hold the string taut and the pleat ilat.

If desired the outer marginal edge of each of the pleats may be stitchedat I1 to better main- Y tain the pleat.

Another advantage of my skirt is that when it becomes soiled either byuse or accident, it is merely necessary to reverse the pleats to give anew clean appearance to the garment.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of mygarment without departing from the real spirit and purpose of itslongitudinal base; said pleats capable of being folded either to theleft or to the right, a string means secured to the outer edge portionof each of said pleats and extending back through the fabric baseportion to the right of the pleat to which it is secured, and a stringmeans secured to the outer edge portion of each of said pleats andextending back through the fabric base portion to the left of the pleatto which it is secured.

2. In a device of the class described, a base fabric, a pleat formed insaid base fabric capable of being folded either to the right or to theleft onto the base fabric, a string means extending rst through the basefabric at one side of said 15 2,064,399

means extending rst through the base fabric 20 4 at the other side ofsaid pleat, then through the outer edge portion of said pleat, then backthrough the base fabric at a point not common with the point itoriginally passed through the base fabric, and a tie knot for closingthe two ends of each of said string means.

RUTH E. MEDD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Y Abrams Dec. 15, 1936 l2,413,906Bono Jan. 7, 1947 2,457,309 Joyce- Dec. 28, 1948 2,470,031 Harris May10, 1949 2,504,718 Nagel Apr. 18, 1950

